See Part One for Disclaimers

~ 17 ~

"How do you know where they are?" Aeryn asked as she and D'Argo followed the boy through the dense woods behind the inn.

"I can sense where the Arbiter is and she is with them," he answered simply.

"You said she judges the potential of other species," D'Argo began.  "And those that are deemed unworthy, what happens to them?"

The Seeker looked at him in alarm.  "It is not a situation of making a judgement on the worthiness of a species," he exclaimed.  "We merely seek out species we feel have the ability to become more, given time.  When we find them, we leave an Arbiter with them as a Marker.  And when they are ready for true contact with us, the Marker lets us know."

Aeryn shook her head.  "I still can't believe that Daisy..."  she paused as D'Argo stopped abruptly and cocked his head.

"Sheyangs," he hissed, his nose twitching.  His eyes widened as his keen sense of hearing picked up the faint sounds of fighting and with a deep growl and he took off running, Aeryn close behind him.

~ 18 ~

"What if I cut off the bad nutrient cords?" Rygel asked.

"I was just asking their Pilot that very same question," Pilot said, pulling up another monitor and viewscreen.  "He said the cords release at the time of birth anyway."

"Is Dahlbred that close to giving birth?"

"Their Pilot seems to think so.  Besides," he added, his brow furrowing in concern.  "At this point the baby will surely die if we do nothing.  Cutting the cords may be it's only chance."

Rygel nodded.  "I remembered that Moya couldn't tolerate a metal knife, so I brought along that ceremonial one of D'Argo's and a little clorium just in case."

"Well done," Pilot said warmly.  He rapidly made more adjustments through his control panel, then contacted Dahbred's Pilot to relay the information.

"You may proceed, Rygel.  Dahlbred is ready."

Rygel pulled the small container of colrium from his pocket and sprinkled the anethestic liberally over the dark nutrient cords.  Then, he shrugged his robe off of his shoulders and pulled the sleeves down over his hands to protect them.

"Stand back," Pilot warned.  "The nutrients in those conduits...."

Rygel gasped sharply as choking fumes hissed out of the first group of cords he cut.

"Are you all right?" Pilot watched in alarm as Rygel's bio-functions spiked jaggedly on the monitor.  "Rygel!  Answer me!"

Pilot swiveled around and pulled up a viewscreen.  He quickly brought the area into focus and paused in surprise, his dark gold eyes gleaming.

Rygel was busily cutting the damaged nutrient web away from the baby.  He had wrapped his hands in the thick fabric of his robe and positioned his hoverplatform so that the propulsion field kept the toxic fumes away from him.  And as Pilot enlarged the viewscreen, he noticed the thin protective membrane that now covered Rygel's eyes and nose.

"So that is how the Hynerians survive in the moisture rich atmosphere of their homeworld," he said, leaning in to get a better look.

*hurry*hurry*hurry*hurry*hurry*hurry*hurry*

"Yes, Moya, he is doing his best."  Pilot opened up a frequency to his counterpart on Dahlbred, checking to make sure he was ready.  His eyes flew back to Rygel's monitor, noting the dangerously high bio-function levels.  Looking back to the main viewscreen, he saw Rygel cutting through the last of the damaged nutrient web.

"Now!" Pilot ordered, turning to monitor the atmosphere as Dahlbred's Pilot released a blast of oxygen rich mixture into the chamber, flushing out the toxic fumes.

Rygel took a deep breath, wheezing and gasping loudly.  He rubbed his hands over his face and blinked as his eyes began to tear.

As Dahlbred groaned and shuddered, he reached out to steady the young Leviathan who swung unsteadily back and forth, attached to the few remaining nutrient cords.

"Take it easy," he croaked, giving it a gentle pat.  His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed the mottled color of it's hull lighten beneath his hand.  Leaning forward, he began to rub the surface, noticing how the color changed and the hull began to glow.

"Pilot!" he exclaimed excitedly, his hands moving feverishly over it's hull as he felt the baby move.

Pilot's head jerked around as the screen monitoring the baby began clicking.

*hope*hope*hope*hope*hope*hope*hope*

"Yes, Moya, Dahlbred's pilot confirms it -- the baby's vital signs are indeed stronger!"

Dahlbred groaned again but this time the lights dimmed and flickered as the walls of the chamber flexed.  Pilot swung around, this hands racing across the control panel as he exchanged information with Dahlbred's Pilot.

"Rygel!" he said sharply.  "Get out!  NOW!"

~ 19 ~

The unmistakable sounds of fighting caused Teurac to look up from his communciator.  He hurriedly transmited the coordinates for their pickup and then turned and ran toward the cave.

As he ducked into the entrance, he hissed in anger.  Not only had the prisoners freed themselves, but they were now fighting the two soldiers who had been left to guard them.

Quickly, he moved toward the Delvian female, concerned that the soldier struggling with her would forget his orders and harm his valuable hostage.  "Stand down from her, she is my property," he shouted, reaching his hand out and grabbing her shoulder.

He yelped in surprise and pain as a long tongue lashed out, cutting his arm deeply.  He spun around and suddenly found himself confronted with a towering vision of Luxan rage.  As he cradled his bleeding arm, he realized that the onscreen image of his enemy was nothing compared to facing him in person.

"Your fight is with me, not her, you cowardly piece of scavenger drek," D'Argo growled, his voice loud and menacing in the small cave.

Teurac moved back, taking a series of deep breaths.  But before he could gather enough pressue to even let out a small belch of fire, the tip of D'Argo sword was at his thick neck.

"Do you wish to continue this futile exercise?" D'Argo drawled cooly, watching as just the act of swallowing nervously started a thin rivulet of blood down Teurac's neck.  He stared into his beady dark eyes and saw the moment when Teurac conceded the fight.  Dropping his sword, D'Argo stepped away and nodded at the soldier Zhaan held pinned helplessly against the cave wall.  "Take your men and leave us."

Sheathing his sword, he turned to see how John was doing.

"Anytime Aeryn.  Just step right in," he gasped as he tried to keep the bulky Sheyang in a kneeling headlock.

"If you hadn't noticed, this is a little close range for a pulse rifle," she retorted as she moved forward swinging her weapon behind her.  "Besides, I didn't want to interrupt your fun."

Grabbing the soldier by the shoulder of his armor, she hauled him to his feet and jerked him around.  She'd drawn her combat dagger but catching the look on John's face, shoved it back into it's sheath and used a Pantac Jab instead.  It connected solidly, and the Sheyang hit the ground, unconscious.

She turned and extended a hand to John.  "C'mon, let's get out of here."

He took her hand and as he let her pull him to his feet he suddenly caught his breath.  He'd thought she was distracting in her fitted black jumpsuit and snug white tee shirt before, but it was nothing compared to the sight of those clothes plastered wetly to her.

"What?" she snapped irritably, pulling her hand away as he continued to stare at her.

"Ummm, nothing," he said, desperately trying to look away and failing miserably.  A sharp tug at his pants leg caught his attention and he glanced down to find the little boy from the bazaar, Daisy cradled in his arm.

"You did not kill them," he said, making it sound almost like a question.

John snorted softly as he watched Teurac and his soldiers limping away.  "Why bother.  As a species, these guys aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer.  I figure at some point, natural selection will take them out."

Looking back at the boy, he reached out and scratched Daisy's head.  "I'm gonna miss you, girl," he said wistfully.

"John," Aeryn began, pulling his hand away.  "There's something you need to know about this boy and Daisy...."

"What he needs to know, it is already in his heart," the boy said, handing Daisy to John.  "I must go now."  Bowing his head slightly he turned to leave, then paused and looked back over his shoulder at the group.

"I will see you .... eventually," he said with a small smile.

~ 20 ~

Rygel sped his hoverplatform to the entrance of the narrow corridor that led from the birth chamber.  He was barely through the opening when Dahlbred began shuddering and groaning.  The lights flickered and as Rygel peeked out of the small tunnel, he saw the walls flex again but this time they continued to undulate, increasing the pressure in the chamber and shaking the nutrient web loose from the small Leviathan.  He heard a loud tearing sound and suddenly the baby fell out of the web and began moving forward unsteadily, the remaining cords trailing behind it.  It hovered erratically in the middle of the chamber, then dropped down just as Dahlbred slid open the floor ports.

"Pilot!  The baby has fallen out of the cargo doors!" Rygel shouted in agitation.  "Can you do something?  Catch it?  Grab it in your docking web....."

"She is fine," Pilot said calmly, a hint of amusement in his voice.  He switched to his outside viewscreen and watched as Dahlbred rolled over slowly, stretching and gliding gracefully.  A tiny ship was pulled along in her wake.  Small and slightly mottled but glowing warmly and following with a determination that belied it's fragile appearance.

"She is fine."

~ 21 ~

Teurac stood looking at the waning sun.  His men were already on the shuttle but he was loathe to join them.  It was hard enough to accept defeat at the hands of a more worthy opponent, but he somehow felt he had lost more than just the opportunity to commandeer a Leviathan.

The sound of light footsteps caught his attention and he turned to watch a small boy walk up to the top of a nearby ridge.  He recognized the child as the one he'd discovered spying on him and he wondered idly what he was doing here.

Suddenly the boy began to glow and change, shedding his rags as he unfurled his wings and flew off.

The small figure was so bright that for a second he had to close his eyes against its radiance.  Yet even in the darkness of his mind's eye, he still saw it's shimmering wings stretched wide, refracting colors so vivid he could taste them on his tongue.  It swooped down to pause in front of him, gazing warmly into his soul with golden eyes that blazed like firestones.  Then bidding him farewell, it soared off in a burst of joy and goodness so pure it made him weep.

~ 22 ~

"Well!' Rygel huffed indignantly, "It just goes to show what utter barbarians humans are."

"Humans are not barbarians," Zhaan said gently as she applied more salve to Rygel's blistered hands.  "They are just different."

"Crichton is more than different," D'Argo growled, looking toward the hallway at the sound of John's muffled laughter.

"He has no idea of the great honor that this naming brings...."  Rygel began.

"True, he does not," Zhaan said soothingly, adjusting the bandages on his hands.

"To have the baby Leviathan named after me because I saved its life!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining.  "And what is even more astounding -- Dahlbred chose to combine our names -- it is unheard of, it is not, Pilot?"

"Quite so.  Neither Moya or I have ever heard of such an honor being bestowed."

Rygel snorted.  "What does Crichton know.  I can think of no grander name, more full of dignity and importance."

Pulling himself up to his full height, he looked regally about and reverently uttered the name again.

"Ry-bred."

~ 23 ~

"Daisy, bring that ball back here."

Aeryn scooped up the small metal sphere Daisy rolled over to her and tossed it into the air.  She had been practicing on the Terrace for the last arn, but the best she had managed to do was get three in the air at once.

"Just look at the spheres.  Listen to the music," she repeated to herself.  She moved her hands slowly, concentrating on the changing color of the lights and the modulation of tones.

She smiled as a melody began to emerge and as she continued moving her hands and arms, the music became stronger and more bold.  "What do you think, Daisy?" she asked, glancing down at the small creature sitting at her feet.  Daisy chirped and tilted her head, then turned and walked off.

"Well, it wasn't  that bad, was it?" Aeryn laughed softly and continued to move the spheres.  The colors and music were pleasing and she found the experience enjoyable but still....

She sighed and dropped her arms.  "Maybe another time," she said wistfully, reaching up to catch the spheres.  They darted away and suddenly began to move around her, the tone soft and gentle, the lights warm and vibrant.

She didn't have to turn around to know he was there.  She sensed him before she even felt the solid warmth of his body behind her.  Leaning back against him she raised her arms, following his movements.

The music swirled and flowed around them, rich and deep and so full of color that Aeryn had to close her eyes for a moment.  As she sighed, the spheres picked up the tone and the music swelled with longing.

Then John moved his hands, changing the direction of the silver orbs, throwing them into a headlong rush of sound and light.  She followed his movements, adding her own notes and color, turning them over and swirling them faster.  The music intensified, the tones and lights pulsing hotly as it resonated through them.  The sensation was overwhelming and Aeryn found herself breathless.

Suddenly John reached up, coaxing the spheres back, gentling the music.  The lights glowed warmly, slowly, the color fading into soft hues.

As the lights and music softened to a gentle hum, Aeryn turned and slipped her arms around John's neck.

"You were doing pretty good there by yourself," John said softly, running his hands up her supple back.

She smiled and pressed closer to warm herself against him.  "Yes, but I enjoyed it better when we did it together.  Do humans have things like that?"

"Mmmm," he murmured, leaning in to nuzzle her neck.  "There  are are few things that come to mind...."  he paused and looked closely at her shoulder, then leaned back to look at the front of her tee shirt.

"What?" she said, starting to move out of his arms.

"Oh no you don't!" he said warningly as he grabbed her.  "Unless the GAP now has a galactic franchise, that's  my grey tee shirt you have on!"

"No, it's not!"

"Yes, it is!"

Areyn twisted in his grasp and ducked, making a mad dash for the terrace doors and leaving John standing in amazement, a warm grey tee shirt in his hands.

"Well," he said with a grin, reaching down to scoop up Daisy.  "Let's go find her.  Maybe I can get those white boxers back too."

The End

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